Hip Hop artist / entrepreneur Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter has joined forces with Cherry Coke to create an eye-catching hip hop designed appearance for the Cherry Coke brand.

On February 7, along with his Rocawear designers, Hip Hop artist / entrepreneur Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter will be on hand to unveil the redesigned Cherry Coke packaging for the first time at an exclusive party during Fashion Week. The new look for Cherry Coke, which is also featured on Cherry Coke Zero, is the first packaging update for the brand since 2002.

"Cherry Coke already tastes great, but we wanted to give the brand an energetic new look and feel," said Katie Bayne, senior vice president, Coca- Cola Brands, Coca-Cola North America. "By partnering with Rocawear and its founder Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter, we''ve been able to fuse design, fashion and music to create a hot new look and personality for Cherry Coke and Cherry Coke Zero."

"When Cherry Coke approached Rocawear about creating a completely new appearance, we knew we could help deliver a fresh approach for an iconic brand," said Jameel Spencer, Chief Marketing Officer, Rocawear. "We''ve designed an urban landscape and a contemporary cherry icon that together reinvent the Cherry Coke brand in a stylish, hip, youthful new way that reinforces its great taste."

The special Fashion Week Cherry Coke launch event will also showcase six artists who will reinterpret the brand's graphics in five different media. The participating artists -- sneaker-designer Dave White, photographer Shareif Ziyadat, digital artist and illustrator Nigel Dennis, sculptor Charlie Becker and lifestyle influencers Nick Poe and Jeff Roberts -- will unveil their interpretations of the Cherry Coke look at the event.

Joining Cherry Coke, Hip Hop artist / entrepreneur Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and the five artists, attendees at the exclusive event will include a mix of celebrities, musicians, athletes, stylists and New York City tastemakers. Guests will enjoy specialty food pairings, signature cocktails, and ice cold Cherry Coke.

New Cherry Coke and Cherry Coke Zero packaging will be supported by a fully integrated marketing campaign, which includes a new 30-second television commercial that will debut on the February 14 episode of American Idol on FOX, plus radio, outdoor, and point-of-sale executions.

The vibrant, urban design for Cherry Coke features a stylized silver cityscape scattered with dark pink cherries on a graduated pink background. The motif for Cherry Coke Zero, which offers great Cherry Coke taste with zero calories, includes the same silver cityscape and cherries with pierced centers dotted across a predominately black background.

Web site: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/